Last updated 24 October 2026 · 8 min read · By Sarah M., Support Coordinator
In short
What is a psychosocial recovery coach? It is an NDIS-funded worker who helps a person with psychosocial disability build capacity and resilience, and find, plan and organise their supports. This guide explains what a coach does, how it differs from a support coordinator, what it costs and how to ask for it. It builds on our guide to psychosocial disability.
Key points
A recovery coach helps you build capacity and resilience, and find, plan and organise the supports around you.
Participants with psychosocial support needs generally receive recovery coach funding, with the number of hours based on need.
A coach and a support coordinator can both help you organise supports; the NDIA describes a coach as also building your capacity and resilience.
If you are in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 if someone is in immediate danger.
What is a psychosocial recovery coach at a glance
What it is
An NDIS-funded worker who helps people with psychosocial disability build capacity and resilience and organise supports
Who it is for
NDIS participants with psychosocial support needs
Funding
If you meet the NDIS access requirements and have psychosocial support needs, your plan generally includes recovery coach funding, with hours based on need
Price limit
$110.44 an hour nationally for weekday daytime, from 24 September 2026
Who to ask
Your NDIS planner or local area coordinator, and your GP or mental health clinician for evidence
Official source
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
What is a psychosocial recovery coach under the NDIS?
The NDIA describes an NDIS recovery coach as a worker who helps you build capacity and resilience and find, plan and organise supports (NDIA).
In practice, that support can cover areas like these. Ask any provider how their coaches work.
Helping you plan the supports you need for the goals in your NDIS plan.
Building your capacity and resilience in everyday life.
Helping you find providers and organise the supports in your plan.
Helping you keep those supports organised over time, with the hours funded in your plan.
What does a psychosocial recovery coach do day to day?
Sessions vary between people and providers. The examples below show what a coach may help with; ask your provider what their sessions include.
Area
What a coach may do
Example
Planning
Turn goals into a step-by-step plan and review it with you regularly
Mapping the steps to start a course or a volunteer role
Skills
Practise coping, communication and organisation skills in real settings
Rehearsing a phone call to a service, then making it together
Connections
Help you find community groups and services
Finding a local peer group and going along the first time
Supports
Help you find, organise and review the supports in your plan
Comparing providers and preparing questions to ask them
Psychosocial recovery coaches and psychosocial recovery coaching explained
People use several names for the same support, and the search terms overlap.
Psychosocial recovery coaches are the workers who deliver the support; ask a provider about their coaches’ experience.
Psychosocial recovery coaching is the support item in your plan, and the NDIA lists it as its own line with a price limit.
Psychosocial coach and psychosocial coaching are shorter, informal names; ask your planner to confirm the exact support item.
TQN Care support workers help with personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC). Tell us what you need and we will call you back.
Difference between a psychosocial recovery coach and a support coordinator
Both roles can involve finding and organising supports, so people often mix them up. Your planner can explain what each support in your plan is for.
Question
Recovery coach
Support coordinator
Main focus
Building your capacity and resilience, and helping you find, plan and organise supports (NDIA)
Ask your planner or provider how support coordination works in your plan
Who it is for
Participants with psychosocial support needs generally get recovery coach funding
Check whether support coordination is funded in your plan
What to check
The hours funded and the support item in your plan
The hours funded and the support item in your plan
Check your plan to see which supports are funded, and ask your planner if you are unsure.
Who can get psychosocial recovery coaching?
Funding follows your NDIS plan, and your plan follows your eligibility and needs.
You need a disability caused by a permanent impairment, which can be psychosocial, and usually need disability-specific supports for daily life (NDIS).
The NDIA says not everyone with a mental health condition will experience psychosocial disability, and the impact on functioning must be likely to be permanent (NDIA).
The NDIA recognises that mental health conditions are often episodic and fluctuating. When you describe your needs, include your harder days.
Participants with psychosocial support needs generally get recovery coach funding, with hours based on need.
How much does a psychosocial recovery coach cost?
The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 sets a maximum hourly price, not a fixed price. Providers can charge less.
1Write down your goals. Note what you want to change, which tasks are hard and what helps, so your planner can see the need for coaching.
2Gather evidence. Ask your GP, psychiatrist or other clinician for a letter that describes how your condition affects daily life.
3Raise it at your planning meeting. Ask for recovery coaching, explain the goals it would support and ask how many hours are funded.
4Compare providers. Ask about lived experience, session locations, availability and cost before you sign a service agreement.
5Review how it is going. Tell your coach what is working and keep notes for your next plan review.
Recovery coaching alongside other supports
Recovery coaching is one support among several you may use.
If your plan funds it, community access support can help you get out to the shops, a class or a group.
You can share your recovery goals with your support workers if you want them to know what you are working towards.
Keep your GP or mental health clinician involved in your health care alongside any coaching.
If attention and organisation are your main challenges, read about ADHD coaching, which is a different type of support.
When to talk to a GP or specialist
Recovery coaching sits alongside your health care. Speak to your GP or a mental health professional if any of these apply.
Changes in your mood, sleep, appetite or energy are affecting daily life.
You feel unsafe, hopeless or overwhelmed, or someone close to you is worried about you.
Your medicine or treatment is not working for you; talk to your GP, psychiatrist or pharmacist before changing anything.
You need a letter or report to support an NDIS access request or plan review.
You want to talk to someone now: call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, both open 24 hours.
Lifeline also takes texts on 0477 13 11 14 (Lifeline). If someone is in immediate danger, call 000.
Looking for NDIS support at home?
TQN Care support workers help with personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC). Tell us what you need and we will call you back.
If you are exploring recovery coaching, start with your goals and the evidence you already have. TQN Care does not deliver coaching or treatment, but we do offer practical community access support to help you get out and put new skills into practice. Make a referral and we will call you to talk about what you need and how our support workers can help.
SM
Sarah M., Support CoordinatorTQN Care is a registered NDIS provider supporting people across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC).
Common questions
FAQs about psychosocial recovery coaches
What does a psychosocial recovery coach do? +
The NDIA describes a recovery coach as an NDIS-funded worker who helps people with psychosocial disability build capacity and resilience, and find, plan and organise supports. Sessions vary between providers, so ask what a typical session involves and how it links to the goals in your plan.
What is psychosocial recovery coaching? +
Psychosocial recovery coaching is the NDIS support item for a coach. It is aimed at participants with psychosocial disability, and the number of funded hours is based on need. Ask your planner what your plan includes and how to use it.
Is a psychosocial recovery coach the same as a support coordinator? +
They are different supports in an NDIS plan, though both can involve organising supports. The NDIA describes a recovery coach as also building your capacity and resilience. Check your plan to see which supports are funded, and ask your planner to explain each one.
Can I choose my own recovery coach? +
Ask your planner or plan manager how your plan is managed and which providers you can use. When you compare providers, ask about their coaches’ experience, session locations and availability, and try to meet a coach before you commit to regular sessions.